Can the Harley Benton RB-414 sound like a Ric? Deep Dive: Used unboxing, Setup, Demo & Review.

Рет қаралды 4,597

8 ай бұрын

Can the Harley Benton RB-414 sound like a Ric? It depends on your level of expectations. I think it'll do in a pinch. But it isn't a pro instrument by any means. I bought a used RB-414 from Musicians Friend on a whim. I set the bass up, modified the wiring, and decided to bring you along for the investigation.

Пікірлер: 21

@nowhearthis5067 5 ай бұрын

Incredibly interesting. I’ve been struggling with pots and pickups and wiring etc. Thank you.

@noisecommander590 7 ай бұрын

Thanks a lot for this video, this gives me a good amount of information and reference points for working on my RB-414. I don't need a Rickenbacker sound, I just like this bass, but it does need some love out of the factory.

@6dbthreshold 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! It’s a fun, cheap bass. I’ll get some use from it for sure.

@randommishaps 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the video, it 90% sounds like a ricki, I bet the body shape and the position of the pickups is the reason why it sounds like a ricky, buying the bass next month (I order a cheap jazz bass so I get my Geddy tone for dirt cheap)

@jameslewis2635 6 ай бұрын

This seems like one of those basses that you buy as a modding project. I would probably either fit an active pre-amp to push the pickup output or swap them out for a better set (it could be worth just looking for a more powerful bridge pickup) and use some copper tape to shield the cavities. Seymour Duncan have a type of 'Rickenbacker' pickups available but they sell for more than this bass at retail. As far as wiring goes I think I would go with 'Les Paul' style as I don't need a stereo output.

@MutambaBrazil 2 ай бұрын

Holy shit, the Aerodyne sounds so amazing.

@tonyc4027 8 ай бұрын

@-64db Threshold Oh, this is going to be a long one, so please switch off at anytime. I have an RB-414. I have to say this is a really good review/pull apart of this guitar. I think you're the first person to actually get down and take this thing apart. From what I understand Ric have aggressively chased down every (post lawsuit) manufacturer to ensure their look remains their look, which is curious they allow this Thomannbacker to take the design cues they so fiercely defend. True that it's headstock is a mirror image without the swoop TR cover, and true that the upper horn is a lot less pronounced, but when you see this guitar in the Thomann catalogue, you're going to think Ric. I have a suspicion that as Thomann are such a large box shifter in the EU and sell so many Rics there may be a little symbiosis as long as they don't copy? Caveat - only my thoughts. So, I know you're a PB man and Rics don't do it for you but we're all different. I have PB's JB's Tele basses and all sorts of others, but the Ric was the defining bass when I was growing up in the early 70's and it's looks was what made me want to first play bass. Something about it's 50's look with all the chrome I s'pose. I've never owned one because I can't afford one and I've heard they're a cow with higher maintenance than Paris Hilton but yeah, it still looks beautiful to me today. Back to the RB. I think if you buy this and think it's going to sound like a Ric you'll be disappointed. I think HB have deliberately set out with the look and not the sound as they're aware of not sailing too close to the wind. Many reviewers think this guitar more - Gibsonesque - in sound and certainly the wiring under the hood reflects that with the switch in both pups either volume will kill both. Now that said, after I took this £200 guitar, ripped out the electrics, replaced everything with CTS, Switchcraft, and Orange Drops (gutted when you went for the cheaper caps) and a good shielding job, I loved how it sounded. I put Schaller tuners on and bough the Hipshot Ric bridge which cost almost the same as the guitar, but it gets rid of that hideous bridge and its problems in one swoop. I got a Retrovibe 8k bridge pup to replace the stock, because of the volume difference but the neck HB I've kept..so far but now I'm in two minds after what you're saying🤔. One thing I'm really really thinking about after watching this is going in and doing a rewire. I've 250k's all around but your wiring diagram shows 500k and 250k's. But Ric shows 500k for tone and 330k's for volume on the 4001. I'd like to do this not to try to emulate a Ric sound, but more to have a guitar that has V/T V/T and select any pup or both that wont kill the signal if you turn the inactive pup volume down. Anyway, sorry for this essay, I really like how you play, I love your attention to detail and glad I stumbled on this. Cheers mate.

@6dbthreshold 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for the insightful reply! 100% on the looks. I think RBs are best looking basses of all time. I love how they sound too. I just don’t have the means or need to own one…..yet….. 😂.

@muddyh2os131 8 ай бұрын

Great video Mike! It's obvious you know your shtuff. 🎸

@6dbthreshold 8 ай бұрын

Rock on!

@jamesgibson3242 6 ай бұрын

That's a cool looking bass.

@learnmusic488 5 ай бұрын

Not saying, you can’t get some cool sounds out of that bass, but that sounds Nothing like a 4001/3

@6dbthreshold 5 ай бұрын

Definitely not a Ric. But maybe in the far vacinity? 😜

@EleanorPeterson 4 ай бұрын

I've seen lots of 'cheap Ricky' bass videos on KZbin, and they all have the same poor quality bridges fitted. On one review of a Chinese model the action was badly off, causing lots of fret buzzing. After much fiddling the reviewer found that the A and D strings were mounted flat, and not set to match the radius of curvature of the fingerboard (I think it worked out at 12"). By raising the A and D string mounts about 1/16" with shims, the action was improved dramatically, and the buzzing disappeared. I suppose the problem with fitting a really good bridge to an instrument like this is that it'd cost more than the guitar. 🤭